Take a Walk (After You Read This)

I've been online quite a bit....perhaps too much.

It seems we pay a big price to be so "wired" and so directed in our attention.

The constant focus that's required as we gaze at our laptops, cellphone screens, TVs and personal electronic devices can lead us to feel irritable, unable to concentrate and feeling ungrounded. It's a condition called "directed attention fatigue"(DAF) by Dr. Rachel Kaplan (U. of Michigan) one of the earlier researchers in cognition and environment.
She notes "What is popularly called 'being stressed out' may more accurately be a reflection of a worn out attentional capacity."

Studies done by Dr. Kaplan and colleagues (January 2010 issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science) support the fact that there are "restorative" environments to reverse and/or prevent such mental exhaustion.

For example, we'd do well to stop for a moment and take a walk in the park or daydream while looking at the sky. The "voluntary" attention involved in interacting with natural settings is associated with lower stress levels, improved mental clarity and less aggression.

So, whether it's checking into Facebook, answering emails, watching TV or texting friends by phone (and playing solitaire while you wait for a response), let's take a break together.

For a more in-depth look at DAF theory and research check out:
R. Kaplan and S. Kaplan (1989) The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Eric Jaffe's great summary at http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/this-side-of-paradise

Great DAF website called Troutfoot Science at http://www.troutfoot.com/attn/index.html

Promise you'll take that walk first!

"It's Getting Better All The Time"---Readings on Resiliency

Here's a nifty pass-along from Tara Parker-Pope, a Wellness columnist at The New York Times.
It has seven handy tips from the experts, Drs. Dennis Charney and Adam Grant on how to look at the brighter side of life once you're on the other side of 40.

It's never too late to learn how to stretch.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/well/mind/how-to-boost-resilience-in-midlife.html

Talk Therapy: UK Edition----Heads Together

So the next generation of the English monarchy sits at a picnic table and they pitch for the public discussion of mental health issues.
And they share some of their own.
Seems 2017 just got a bit better.

https://www.headstogether.org.uk/about-heads-together/

Stressful Times? Mindfulness Lines....

More and more folks are speaking with me about the anxieties that have arisen or worsened over the past few months with the dynamic change in our current environment.

Fortunately, there are useful stress-reduction tools with free access via the world's
largest video library, YouTube.

True, you could watch the cute animal snippets, cooking tutorials or slapstick home movies that are routinely posted.

I'd like to suggest that you spend a half hour with Jon Kabat-Zinn as he leads a session on Mindfulness Meditation during a workshop at Google.
Here's the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAtC489sVDg

Kabat-Zinn defines mindfullness as 
"The awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgementally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.”(2003, pg. 145)
(Kabat-Zinn,, J. Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future  
 Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10 (2) (2003), pp. 144–156)

I hope you'll let yourself experience this short journey with a pioneer guide.
As a long-time proponent of this approach to life and self-care, JKZ knows what he's doing.

Until next time, take good care.